Qualitative data indicate guaranteed income programs—which provide cash directly to beneficiaries—provide real stability to people in need. But, while waiting for the quantitative data to come in, researchers are brainstorming on how to maximize this approach. This Abt podcast episode discusses two outstanding questions that researchers have: What do we still have to learn about cash transfers as a means of empowering people, and can making payments directly to households be a more effective way of providing rent subsidies?

Nearly 83% of individuals in the United States have experienced some form of trauma in their lifetime. Employees’ response to trauma may manifest in the workplace in various ways. When left unaddressed, it can lead to poor performance, absenteeism and burnout. This Office on Trafficking in Persons factsheet provides tips, strategies, and resources to support staff at all organizational levels in creating and sustaining a trauma-informed workplace.

Although the relationship between hardship and child welfare system, CWS, involvement seems straightforward, it is far more complicated. On average, families encountering the CWS tend to have lower incomes, and rates of CWS involvement are highest in the sections of New York with the highest concentrations of families with incomes below the poverty level. Among those who are involved with child welfare services, co-occurring conditions such as substance misuse and mental health challenges, which hardships exacerbate, are also correlated with CWS involvement regardless of income. This Urban Institute report examines the relationships between hardship and CWS involvement.

As part of the Building Evidence on Employment Strategies project, researchers conducted virtual interviews from November 2021 to April 2022 with staff members at ten workforce programs to learn how they were using technology to adapt their services during the pandemic. Most of the organizations used a hybrid model to blend in-person and virtual service delivery. This MDRC publication examines five key adaptations of the programs made to accommodate the new hiring context.

The Department of Labor announced up to $40 million in grants available for national out-of-school time organizations to expand local work-based learning opportunities, job training and career pathways for underserved youth during non-school hours. The Workforce Pathways for Youth demonstration grants will help these organizations partner with state or locally operated affiliate organizations that serve historically marginalized and underserved youth, ages 14 to 21. Priority will be given to organizations serving Native American youth.

Through the partnerships, out-of-school time organizations will introduce youth to career-related services, and provide work-based learning experiences and occupational skills training. They will also offer unsubsidized employment placements to increase opportunities for youth to gain the skills they need to be successful in post-secondary education and employment. The program also encourages partners across the workforce system to provide supportive services to address the mental health needs of participating youth.

This Chapin Hall report evaluates implementation of Multisystemic Therapy for Emerging Adults in Cook County, Illinois, which helps emerging adults with behavioral health needs reintegrate into community after time in an Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice youth center.

To meet the growing sector of clean energy’s labor force demands, employers and workforce development professionals are seeking new approaches to train workers quickly and more effectively. The Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship is an initiative funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy that seeks to expand access to one such approach: registered apprenticeships for people with disabilities in high-growth sectors, such as clean energy. This Urban Institute brief discusses the need and opportunities for building inclusive apprenticeships in the clean energy sector.

The 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act amended the Social Security Act to require states to adopt evidence-based strategies in their Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) programs. This Employment and Training Administration brief summarizes the changes in RESEA program design and service delivery that occurred since the first survey in 2020. It also describes states’ current evaluation activities and plans.

Individuals can better meet economic challenges with higher wages, expanded employment opportunities, knowledge of financial concepts, and access to affordable and safe financial products and services. To help support the financial well-being of people with low incomes, government agencies fund both employment and training (E&T) programs and financial capability interventions. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation research brief describes the experiences of individuals with low incomes who participated in programs that integrate E&T and financial capability services. The brief is intended for E&T program administrators, client-facing staff, and financial capability service providers seeking to learn more about the successes and challenges of delivering integrated services from the perspective of participants. By incorporating these insights into service delivery, practitioners can improve program structures, strengthen engagement, and enhance supports to foster financial well-being for individuals with low incomes.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation is partnering with Urban Institute to conduct a study that seeks the perspectives of participants in programs funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies about:

• The environmental and climate exposures they and their communities face;
• How they view environmental and climate justice concerns;
• Mitigation and adaptation resources they can access or are aware of; and
• Additional resources and strategies useful to address these issues.

They are recruiting people participating in programs funded by the federal Administration for Children and Families and Administration for Community Living, as well as Community Action Agencies and other human services agencies. They seek participation from adults (18 and over) who are comfortable speaking English and live in different regions of the country so that a mix of climate change and environmental hazard contexts are represented.

The researchers are conducting the interviews and focus groups through July 2024 and are offering $50 gift card incentives to interview participants and $75 gift card incentives to focus group participants.

Review the flyers for additional information about participating in this study. Please contact Pam Winston at pamela.winston@hhs.gov or Anne Junod at ajunod@urban.org with any questions.